Locker-hook.



N. VANCE.

LOCKER HOOK.

.APPLIOATION FILED. MAR. 19, 1909.

Patented July 20, 1909.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT on rrcn.

WALTER N. VANCE, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

LOCKER-HOOK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER N. VANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing in aw kegan, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imorovement in Locker-Hooks, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in hooks for lockers; and it consists in the novel devices and novel combination of parts and devices hereinafter set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved hook show ing its method of attachment to the ceiling of the locker; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same 3 Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a view frombeneath in section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of the hook detached and Fig. 6on different scaleis a general view of an open locker containing the improved hooks.

Previous to the use of the present inven tion, it has been customary for the inventor I hereof to employ for the purpose of this invention a hook made of cast iron, into which was cast an ordinary machine screw, the threaded part projecting so as to be assed through the sheet metal ceiling or shelf of the locker and there secured by a nut. There was a great deal of trouble experienced with this hook, both in its manufacture and in its use. Thus, as to the manufacture, it was eX- tremely difiicult to get good castings, or any castings at all that were clean, since the tumbling necessary to clean the hooks would so upset and deform the soft machine screw that it became useless further, any thing short of perfection in setting the screw in the sand caused the loss of the casting; and still further any dirt or moisture on the screw heads would cause a bubble there so that the screw would pull out; and still further, the screw chilled the iron about it so that it became extremely hard and brittle. And, as to the use of the device so made; the screws were seldom exactly at right angles to the head of the hook and so could not be always securely fastened without danger of breaking; further, the nut was on top of the locker and made a rough projection there; further it was difiicult and frequently impossible to set the hook on ti 'htly and have its arms stand in the right p ane, since after thehook was tightened in place once it could not be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1909.

' Patented July 20, 1909.

Serial No. 484,452. I

further turned at all in one direction and could not be turned in the other direction without loosening it so that it was liable to work gradually entirely off by use. The present invention overcomes all of these difficulties and is moreover attended with additional advantages as well as being cheaper than the older construction. These advantages will be stated after the device is described.

In the said drawing, 10 is the sheet metal ceiling or shelf of the locker, and 12 is the hook, made usually in the double form shown so that one hook may be used to hang two garmentson. This double fornrmakes .it desirable that the hook shall be capable of being positioned right upon the ceiling; sometimes, as when in the center of the locker-ceiling, itwill need to stand in one position and at other times, as when at one side, in a different position or with its arms, for example, at right angles to the last named position. And sometimes also it is found desirable that the hook shall be so secured to the ceiling that, while it cannot become loosened, to fall off, it still may be capable of being turned from one position to another, as in putting up or taking off garments, and on the other hand it is also sometimes found desirable to have the hook so secured that it cannot be turned from itsfixed original position.

In the said drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the sheet-metal ceiling of thelocker, pierced at suitable desired oints with the holes 11 for the passage of t e shank of the screw used in fastening the hooks in place. 12 indicatesthe hook, made with an enlarged head 13, within which, opening toward the rear of the hook, is the angled recess 14, shaped to receive and hold a nut 15, and hav ing a fiat, broad surfaced top 16, to set up against the surface of the ceiling or shelf, and having the angle or corner 17 to bite into the enamel of the ceiling or shelf when the screw is drawn up tight and it is desired to make the hook rigid, and also having the swell por' tion at the top at the front plain and uncut to present a smooth and ornamental appearance. 18 is the machine screw, long enough to pass through the ceiling, the upper end of the hook, and to engage the nut 15. These parts are all such as to be easily and cheaply manufactured. The screws are, or may be, such as can be bought in the market, at the low price of such manufactured articles, as

also may be the nuts which are, or may be, of standard kinds. The cast iron hook is of such form that it may be easily and cheaply cast, cleaned in an ordinary tumbling barrel without injury, and j apanned or enameled by the ordinary cheap processes.

It will be seen from a consideration of the structure that the hook is very easily applied and does not require two workmen, one to hold the nut and the other to turn the screw; a single workman being able to hold the hook in position with one hand beneath the ceiling and to apply and set the screw home with the other hand above the ceiling. Moreover the structure is such that the hook when applied may be placed in any position desired, for example, with its rongs parallel with or at right angles to tie door and yet the screw may be tightened and set home without any danger of working loose in'one position as well as in the other. Moreover, the upper surface of the ceiling is not disfigured by proj ecting nuts and screw ends, but presents only the small rounded screw heads which do not gather dirt and do not hinder the cleaning of said surface. Moreover, the structure is such that the hook may be so firmly secured by the screw that it cannot be turned readily from Within the locker, if that condition be desired, or on the other hand that it may be so secured as to turn freely on the screw as a pivot, and yet be not likely to come loose. This latter quality depends upon the fact that the relatively small size of the machine screw head does not offer sufli- 'cient comparative resistance to cause the nut-held firmly in its angled recessto unscrew. Wherefore the hooks may be set firmly in the locker in any desired position to thus permanently remain if that he wished, or may be pivotally attached to swing readilyfor convenience in applying or removing two or more garments from its several prongs,

Without danger in either case of working loose.

I claim 1. The combination with the sheet metal locker of the multiple pronged cast hook made with the enlarged head tabled and flat tened at the top to set against the locker, recessed at the side with an angled recess to receive and hold a nut, pierced at the tabled top for passage of a screw for securing it to the locker, and the machine screw, substantially as described.

2. The cast metal multiple pronged hook for lockers, comprising the enlarged head, tabled and flattened at the top to set against the locker, recessed at the side with an angled recess to receive and hold a nut, and pierced at the tabled top for passage of a screw for securing it to the locker, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the sheet metal locker of the multiple pronged cast hook made with the enlarged head tabled and flattened at the top to set against the locker, recessed at the side with an angled recess to re ceive and hold a nut, pierced at the tabled top for passage of a screw for securing it to the locker, and the machine screw, and having a corner to bite into the enamel of the locker, substantially as described. 7

4. The cast metal multiple pronged hook for lockers, comprising the enlarged head, tabled and flattened at the top to set against the locker, recessed at the side with an angled recess to receive and hold a nut, and pierced at the tabled top for passage of a screw for securing it to the locker, and having a corner to bite into the enamel of the locker, substantially as described.

WALTER N. VANCE.

Witnesses P. A. NEUBERT, W. J. OHEILLY. 

